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Gypsy Jan
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Is Baja California Sur Safe or Not??
By Dez Bartelt
http://www.examiner.com/topic/dez-bartelt/articles
"What we all should know is that the escalating drug war and gory media reports of violence in Mexico is hurting the overall country and is keeping
the tourist at bay. The over zealous U.S. State Department's travel advisory of Mexico is not helping matters, but more to the point, killing some of
the most rewarding destinations areas that are clearly not even named in the government travel advisories. For example, Baja California beach resorts
such as Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo, or the colonial hill town Todos Santos are all being affected. Todos Santos is a small town tucked among
rolling hills with nearby surfing beaches. The town is a haven for expat artists that have flocked there for years not to mention the location of the
very famous Hotel California owned by American Debbie Stewart.
The main issue is people are lumping all of Mexico; a country the size of Western Europe, as one in the same for safety. The citing of a border
incident involving the death of a Colorado tourist back in 2010 prompted the Texas Department of Homeland Security to issue this travel warning for
all of Mexico. So I ask you, would you put off a trip to Southern California because of the gang wars in Los Angeles that are constantly causing death
and mayhem in the city's neighborhoods and outlying suburbs? What about visiting Florida or Louisiana where the death rates are some of the highest in
the United States, mostly due to local drug gangs? Millions of people vacation in these states regularly, they don't think twice about going, and they
return What about the murders of British tourists James Kouzaris and James Cooper, who were shot dead in Florida last year. Should other countries
mark the US as a unsafe country? Should we have travel advisories applied to Florida or even the whole of the USA? I think we all know the answer. NO.
The fact of the matter is that most of central and southern Baja Mexico sees less violence than many U.S. cities, and local residents including expats
remain miffed at the public's fear of their quiet communities. Offering up some of the best jungles, deserts, beaches, coral reefs, pre-European
cultures and some of the world's most satisfying cuisines, not to mention proximity and value, Mexico remains a great travel destination with a very
bad PR problem.
Baja California Sur is a diverse mix of artsy, urban and rugged cities with an abundant of outdoor and adventure activities such as surfing, scuba
diving, and world class fishing with homicide rates comparable to that of Vermont.
With all the negative media attention on Mexico, I personally wanted to check out the local seen and judge for myself if all the hype regarding drug
related violence was true. My first stop was San Jose del Cabo where I contacted Pat and Bob Lillo from Cabo Vacation Getaways. They are an american
couple who own two rental properties located at the 5-star Beachfront Resort Coral Baja in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico. My goal was to be a regular
tourist who would have regular tourist concerns . I asked Pat what I thought would be the standard questions in light of the travel warning and the
issues associated with them. My main question was- Is San Jose del Cabo safe? Her quick answer to the question was definitely yes. San Jose del Cabo
and Cabo San Lucas may be the two safest cities in all of México. A large number of people think that the cities of Baja California Sur are safer than
most cities in the United States.
Pat goes on to say "Of course there is crime here, it's everywhere in the world, but most local crime is minor." As anywhere, there are places that
should be avoided and there are places that can be considered to be much safer than others. San Jose Del Cabo is an amazing little town and without a
doubt considered a safe travel destination. After spending a week there I would 100% agree. I never once felt unsafe walking on the beach at night,
visiting the local shops away from the regular tourist hot spots, or even eating in the most local restaurants with no chance of running across a
fellow gringo. All things I would never do in east LA. During my month long stay in Baja my only fear was how can the local people who depended on
tourist survive such a loss.
The beaches are not jammed. Hotel occupancy is as low as 50%... the Baja Hotel Association reports. That's not impressive for a popular resort area
where a 80%-plus occupancy is the norm. I interviewed both tourists, Mexican travel operators, and official tourism industry sources, which revealed a
sobering picture of a beach town that relies sorely on its tourism industry.
Tourism officials along with locals are quick to point out that Cabo along with neighboring tourist destinations sit far away from the drug related
violence that plagues Mexico's border towns and that "the safest people here are the tourists." Still, lower than usual tourist numbers persist
causing problems for local economy. Reports of tourist casualties are quick to be picked up by the media, but numbers rarely tell the full story.
Although 18 Americans died in Cancun, Cozumel, and Mayan Riviera in the first six months 2010, most of them drowned. According to the Baja Convention
& Visitors Bureau, not one tourist has been killed by cartel-related violence.
As for the tourist, they're playing it safe, having a good time, and reporting back with positive feedback about their Baja experiences. Interviewing
one Surfer and his family who spent a week camping at a popular surf spot Nine Palms, "We never put ourselves in a position to be in harm ways . My
family and I decided that Baja Calfornia Sur is only as unsafe as you make it. We would definitely, 100%, go back."
So lets look at a more accurate assessment of Mexico than many of the sensationalistic and non-contextualized news reports Starting with the catalyst
of an international indicator for measuring violence in a country - the number of violent deaths per 100,000 people - by comparing figures of Mexican
violence with those of other Latin American countries and U.S. cities.
The results found Mexican has lower numbers of violent deaths than popular Latin American destinations like Argentina, Brazil, and Venezuela. Even In
comparing Mexico City to other U.S. cities, Mexico City came out on top in terms of safety. With 9.8 violent deaths per 100,000 people, Mexico City
had fewer deaths than U.S. cities like Houston (12.5), Phoenix (12 of Mexico's violence in context, but also paint a picture of what is true in many
countries.
Some parts of countries can be more dangerous than others, and should well be avoided. Mexico as a whole is not plagued by violence, but travelers
should be aware of dangerous cities to avoid. Just as people in the U.S. might encourage travelers to take advantage of Chicago, while avoiding
Detroit - people in Mexico would encourage tourists to experience Baja California while steering clear of Boarder towns. So what are my over all
findings? That over sensationalistic news reports that don't provide the whole picture unfairly are hurting the cities and communities of Mexico that
are safe, and driving away much needed tourism. Warning people to avoid Mexico is largely unfounded and misleading, as well as a bit fear-mongering.
There is an actual statement by Texas DPS Director Steven C. McCraw saying, "Avoid traveling to Mexico during Spring Break and stay alive."
Acknowledging official statements like that carries weight for both business and leisure travelers, I personally was traveling in Mexico a week later
and found the statement issued extremely irresponsible.
With my own trip stretching from Cabo San lucas to Todos Santos along with the remote beach area of Nine Palms, I encountered zero problems. In fact,
the travelers I interviewed in Mexico were not worried about safety issues. Most where streetwise travelers who tend to exercise more common sense
regarding travel conditions no matter where they travel to.
I found people wanted to speak out and share their positive Mexico experiences. So here are the facts and how I see them. Violent crime in Cabo San
Lucas and its neighboring cities is low, WiFi can be found in public parks and families gather in the streets for cultural events. I enjoyed just
going out to dinner and running in to american rock star and part time resident Peter Buck of REM. No big deal just another person wanting to spend
time at local mexican hangout and eat a good meal.
"I spent a month wandering amazingly clean, civilized streets, often by myself, and I've never felt safer or met nicer people. This is the Mexico rich
in social tradition and culture that we as tourists should value and not be blinded by the Mexico we see in the media. Even if the barrage of
headlines makes it sound as if the entire country were in flames, the violence that feeds Mexico's death toll takes place primarily in just nine of 31
states - mainly along the U.S. border where the smuggling takes place.
Local officials in Baja Sur have gone way out of there way and done a lot recently to make sure that this area stays safe and that you feel better
about your visit. In Cabo San Lucas there is a dedicated tourist police force and a special branch office of the Ministerio Publico, which is pretty
much the same as a District Attorney in the U.S. The office actually has the word "Turismo" etched on the glass front door (remember where you are).
This office serves San Jose del Cabo, and the East Cape, as well as Cabo San Lucas.You will not find this type of dedication to the safety of tourists
anywhere else in México. These measures speak loudly about how important the local government feels about protecting their tourists. The city, state
and even the federal governments are ready to expand on programs that are already in place to make sure Cabo San Lucas, and all of Los Cabos, stays
safe. This, of course, includes the safety of their visitors.
" So unless you plan to join the cartel or become a high ranking member of the Mexican military or police force between now and your vacation you can
go to Mexico and be safe just as you can go to Texas, New Orleans,"
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness.”
—Mark Twain
\"La vida es dura, el corazon es puro, y cantamos hasta la madrugada.” (Life is hard, the heart is pure and we sing until dawn.)
—Kirsty MacColl, Mambo de la Luna
\"Alea iacta est.\"
—Julius Caesar
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woody with a view
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i'll find out in october and let you know..... assuming i get out with my head intact!
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Cypress
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Safe? From what? Deli chicken?
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tiotomasbcs
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Hey Jan, I know you didn't write the article but remember the SOB is a Travel Writer, no?! Put them in the boat with attorneys and Real Estate
guys!! I live down here and agree but, nightime in Cabo or San lucas is
sketcy! If you're on the East Cape it's different than in the populated city! Loved the Rock Star mention?? Star struck and Comped out! IMO.
Smiles Tio
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comitan
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Your never safe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! anywhere.
Strive For The Ideal, But Deal With What\'s Real.
Every day is a new day, better than the day before.(from some song)
Lord, Keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.
“The sincere pursuit of truth requires you to entertain the possibility that everything you believe to be true may in fact be false”
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Gypsy Jan
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Just Sharing Information
Hey, tiotomasbcs
You can call BS on anything I post.
Cheers, GJ
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness.”
—Mark Twain
\"La vida es dura, el corazon es puro, y cantamos hasta la madrugada.” (Life is hard, the heart is pure and we sing until dawn.)
—Kirsty MacColl, Mambo de la Luna
\"Alea iacta est.\"
—Julius Caesar
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tiotomasbcs
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Amiga, no strong offense intended. I have cultivated a strong dislike for travel writers as they always seem to cash in and move on. In Todos we
have suffered from many articles calling us a Bohemian " Carmel"!? Y
The few gringo assaults of ex pats ( Homicides) are not well publicized but not forgotten! I do live very peacefully but always on guard! Peace.
Tio
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Curt63
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No, it's not.
People should stay home on their couches and live the good life.
Watch more TV. Its the reasonable thing to do.
No worries
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monoloco
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| Quote: | Originally posted by tiotomasbcs
Amiga, no strong offense intended. I have cultivated a strong dislike for travel writers as they always seem to cash in and move on. In Todos we
have suffered from many articles calling us a Bohemian " Carmel"!? Y
The few gringo assaults of ex pats ( Homicides) are not well publicized but not forgotten! I do live very peacefully but always on guard! Peace.
Tio |
Come on Tio, tell the truth, we live in fear, locked in our secure compounds here, afraid to come out
after dark.
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El Jefe
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I swim nekkid after dark. Be afraid, be very afraid.
No b-tchin\' in the Baja.
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Meany
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I don't say Much But this Baja Sur is the most safe place on EARTH. mE lIKE IT.
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captkw
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THIS IS THE TRUTH !!
| Quote: | Originally posted by comitan
Your never safe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! anywhere. |
*************** BEING A VERY,VERY WELL TRAVELED
VAGABUNDO !! BAJA IS A REALLY SAFE PLACE OVER ALL !! THAT SAID....I HAVE FOUND ALL,, BORDERS,,ANYWHERE TO BE ON THE SHADY SIDE !! MY 2 CENTAVOS...K
& T 
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Pescador
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I hate articles like this, cause if they keep up this kind of stuff we might start getting more tourists, which is a pain, cause they launch their
boats where I do, try to get bait where I do, and try to catch the fish that are so easy to catch. It was better when they were all afraid to come
down here and I pretty much had the place all to myself.
Oh well, what can you do?
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Osprey
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I'll second that pal >> my area is safest for flyfishermen. Lots of reasons: they stay on the beaches all day, rarely go into town. They are shy
sensitive types who catch few fish and release them all. We keep em safe and happy here because they leave the bait for us and at the end of each day
they are too whipped after chasin' the wiley rooster to invite trouble with loud celebration. I'm thinkin' about building some special lockers for
them for those $10,000 dollar plus special rods and reels. Least I can do.
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dtbushpilot
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I'm here every day and I can tell you that it isn't safe, people should stay away from the East Cape. It has been a couple of weeks since we have seen
a dead body in the street and almost that long since there has been a shark attack so maybe things are getting better. Probably best just to stay away
at least for now.....
"Life is tough".....It's even tougher if you're stupid.....
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woody with a view
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Pescador
I hate articles like this, cause if they keep up this kind of stuff we might start getting more tourists, which is a pain, cause they launch their
boats where I do, try to get bait where I do, and try to catch the fish that are so easy to catch. It was better when they were all afraid to come
down here and I pretty much had the place all to myself.
Oh well, what can you do? |
imagine how the surfers feel upstream in the "area that shall not be named."
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Lee
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The surfers upstream don't give a chit about those living in fear. Surfers are fearless, don't believe what the media prints, and are only focused
on one thing: when's the next wave coming.
Surfers have things in perspective. They are warriors.
US Marines: providing enemies of America an opportunity to die for their country since 1775.
What I say before any important decision.
F*ck it.
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Ateo
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I know a ton of surfers who are scared chit less of Mexico, and I'm fine with that cuz it clears out the lineups, especially north of Ensenada.
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CP
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Lee
Surfers have things in perspective. They are warriors. |
Darn - where is that puking smiley when I want it? 
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Cypress
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Baja Sur safe? You bet! Why would so many tourists from California be there if it wasn't? Baja is California's adventure land/off road destination of
choice. All the regulations/laws in California take all the fun out of off road adventuring and most everything else. And heck, it's a whole different
country!
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